JLTRT 57XX

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Hello All.

It's been a while since I finished the  Duke so I thought  it  was  about  time I started a new build. I'm not really into GWR/BR Western Region, but have always had  a soft spot for the 57XX.  I came across a very excellent build of the JLTRT 57XX on Western Thunder and  was smitten by the  kit. I was in Scotland on business earlier  in the week and gave JLTRT a ring  to see if  they had  one  in stock,  and  as  they did, I took the plunge. I was only  up the  road at Bridge of  Weir so made  a  detour to Irvine before  returning to Leeds. As it happened they were on summer shut down  but Laurie Lynch was in so I shot  off to buy one.

 

Laurie gave  me an overview  of the  kit and  some  tips  and  pointers. He also very kindly  gave  me  a  tour of  the  production area showing  me the various manufacturing  procedures. Very impressive and definitely not  a  cottage industry establishment (not  disrespect to the  many other kit manufacturers we are lucky to have producing kits  in O gauge).  The only thing they do not do in house is the etching process which is out sourced. He's a really nice  bloke  and very helpful.

 

Any way, on to the  kit. It is packed in a very large box (too large in fact) which no doubt will accommodate the  largest of  their  kits, so the  first thing I did was to lop about 7-8 inches off it so that now  it is  only @ 12 inches long.  This will accommodate the  longest of  the  etching and  all the other bits but  will be too large  for  the  finished  model.  No big deal I will sort  out something  else to store  it  in when it's finished.

 

This is a multi media kit including a PU resin casting for  the  boiler/pannier tanks, etched brass and  nickel silver, cast white metal, nickel silver and brass detailing parts, and  an assortment of nut, bolts and  brass and  copper  rod   to complete. Laurie  threw in a set of  prototypical cast nickel silver crank pin nuts to replace  the Slaters' ones  in their  wheel sets as part of  the  deal.

 

Here's what you get  in the  box.

 

[ian@stenochs]

Hi Pad.

I built one of these. Really good kit. The most difficult part is the bunker corners. Make sure you use the longer etch, small one on left of main sheet in your picture, and be prepared to do a wee bit of fitting to the brass castings for the corners. The resin boiler/tanks save a lot of time and difficult bending. I stuck it to the footplate and cab with Araldite and reinforced joint with a few self tapping screws.

Enjoy the build.

Ian

[steve fay]

Excellent I love the panniers, il be watching with interest

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I'm still waiting  for  the  wheels to arrive from Slaters so can't  get on with chassis yet, where  I would  normally start.  Decided to crack on with the  footplate which comes with a  fold down jig to keep it  flat and  straight, while the cab and splashers etc., are added before the resin casting.  Not the only manufacturer to do this but  it's  a  first for me, and  I found it  really easy to erect flat  and  square.  There is  a half etch laminate with lots of rivet and other detail, that has  to be  sweated on top of  the  jigged foot plate. Some  rivets need punching out along the  beading for  the  splashers and  for  the  lamp iron bases.  The  kit  includes cast brass lamp irons also but  I prefer to use the  etch ones on the footplate front  and the  two spares on the  side. I will of  course use  the  cast items at the  rear on the  bunker.

 

Here's the  footplate before  the  sides were folded to make  the  jig.

 

And the  sides being folded.

 

Sides folded with the  cross members also folded and  soldered on one side.

 

A dry run with the  detail laminate. It needed minimal fettling to get  it  to sit  down with the  lamp irons uprights fitting  up through slots.

 

Some of  the  punched out rivets still to be done on the  splasher beading.

 

The  laminate screwed to the footplate for  soldering. I overlooked the circled tabs and  had  already started soldering before  I realised.

 

And the  tabs folded. There is  no mention of  these  in the  instructions.  All the  other  folds  are arrowed on the  exploded diagram. 

 

And soldered.

 

 

 

That's all for  now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The buffer beams  also have  overlays with the  rivet detail.  I held these  in place with 6 BA nuts and  bolts to line them up and keep still while  I solded in place. Both the  overlay  and  the  buffer beam were tinned before fixing.

 

 

And cleaned up

 

 

And a sneak preview with the resin casting placed on the  footplate. So far I'm very impressed with the  quality  of  this  kit.

[3 link]

Hi Pad,

 

Great to see you back on the forum, I built one of these a few years ago now and they do go together well.

 

Like Ian said the bunker is a bit of a pain and the same style of fabrication was used on their 42xx as well as their prairies, also the ash pan will need some trimming to clear the gearbox, well it does if you use the fold up gearbox made by Markits as that was the only one compatible at the time.

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

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Thanks Ian and  Martin for  the tips based on your experience of building this kit. 

 

I received the  wheels yesterday from Slaters so decided to prepare them ready to start work on the  chassis.

 

As usual the  front and  rear faces needed some work to remove the  flash and  molding pip.  Her's some  before  and after shots and  the  completed set. I still need to counter sink the  hole for  the  crank pin screw at the  rear before  fitting. Hopefully the  frames will be  erected next time  I post.

 

 

 

 

Don't  know  why, but  when I access RM web via Internet Explorer, I cannot  insert text either  in between or after adding  pictures as I am doing now. If I access via  Google Chrome then I can do it, as in this  session. Anybody  know  why that is?  My previous threads on the  Black 5 and Duke  of Gloucester worked fine via Internet Explorer.

 

Cheers,

Peter

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Well I didn't get the time at the bench I hoped for so only got as far ad laminating one set of coupling rods. After snipping from the fret I opened the holes with a broach until they would just take an 8 ba bolt. After getting the first one right i added

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Whoops!

cont....

a piece of masking tape to mark how far to go with the other bits. Then I bolted the laminates together, popped in the vice and soldered up. So much for a quick post via my phone - just realised I need to resize the pictures so will have to get my lap top out B**ger!

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Ok here's the  pictures.

 

Enlarging the  crank pin holes.

 

Bolted together and  then into the  vice.

 

After soldering.

 

I then filed off the cusp, remaining tabs from the  fret andcleaned off the  excess solder. Then I drilled out the  half etch holes for  the  joint and  added a 12 BA bolt from the  rear, after first filing down the  head. 

 

And from the  front after soldering, trimming and  cleaning up.

 

I have also ordered a 3 stage gearbox plus Canon 1833 motor from ABC, so I now have  everything apart from enough time to complete the  model.

Cheers,

Peter

 

[Barry Ten]

Very useful, thanks. I have one of these to build as well...

[Kev_Lewis]

.....also the ash pan will need some trimming to clear the gearbox, well it does if you use the fold up gearbox made by Markits as that was the only one compatible at the time.0

 

I gave up trying to get a fold up gearbox into mine. In the end I opted for an ABC Gears Mini 7S with a Canon 1833 motor. Although there probably is enough room in the firebox for a Maxon motor.

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Hi Kev, 

I have ordered the  Mini plus Canon with 30:1 ratio. After building my  last three kits with ABC/Maxon or  Canon motors, I would  only go back to fold up etched gearboxes, as a matter of  economy, if  I could  not  afford a top end  unit.

 

Hi Barry,

Be good  if  you  got  yours started as well to see the  comparison.  Have you  seen the  build by Heather Kay on Western Thunder? Very useful and a really nice build. Got one or  two useful pointers from that which I will bear in mind.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[2ManySpams]

Don't tell the GWR brigade but I've got one of these kits on my loco shortlist, probably numbered as 4666.

 

Having battled with bending up an etched pannier tank, that resin one looks a much better idea.

 

Will be watching with interest.

[Barry Ten]

Hi Barry,

Be good  if  you  got  yours started as well to see the  comparison.  Have you  seen the  build by Heather Kay on Western Thunder? Very useful and a really nice build. Got one or  two useful pointers from that which I will bear in mind.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

I really ought to get cracking on it as I bought the kit getting on for 6 years ago. I'm signed up for Western Thunder, just haven't

posted there yet!

 

I've just finished painting this Tower Brass 4575 class:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/257/entry-16283-a-brace-of-prairies-back-in-black-and-green/

 

As you can see most of my stuff is 4mm, but I am acquiring a small amount of 7mm stuff. I look forward to following your build.

[Grasshopper John]

Welcome Back Peter Will be following you on this as your workmanship is spot on as always.

 

I just have one word  TELFORD well two  BEER.

[Pete Harvey]

Is it not three Telford And Beer?

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On wards and  upwards.

 

The frames with the  center bearing  hole elongated to allow some  up and  down movement. The  lower one has the  retaining washer in place  plus the  piece  of  waste etch to prevent  the  bearing  from turning. The  washer was canabalised from a spare etched gearbox.  The kit  comes with cast hornblocks for  those  who prefer to build  with springs or CSB, but  I'm not  one of  them.

 

The  outer bearings in place and the  overlay being sweated on..

 

I then cut  off the  etch springs  in favour  of  the  cast ones. No contest  really when you  compare  the  two.

 

The frames ready for adding  the  spacers.

 

The  various bit  ready to go. I was intending not to file  off the  cusp on the  edge of  the  spacers, but  a quick measure with the  vernier gauge over the  width of  the  bearings during a dry run, showed that they would have fouled the  wheels.  Easier to remove the  cusp, than to try to file  the  bearings faces later so the wheels  would  fit.

 

Setting up in my brother's Avonside jig. Not an essential tool but it makes things a lot easier, even with a "rigid" chassis. 

 

And all soldered up.

 

The ABC 3 stage gearbox and  Canon motor arrived since my last  post.

 

The driving wheel springs solder on.

 

A bit early to be  putting  on the  cast crank pin nuts, but  I decided to prep them up ready for  later on. Thanks To Ozzy O for  the  tip on soldering them to a  piece  of brass  plate  to facilitate drilling and  tapping.  Works a treat. 

 

The lower one  shows the  slight  counter sink at the  start of  the  thread to make  it  easier  to get them started on the  bolt when fitting.

 

A comparison with the  standard 12 BA nut  supplied by Slaters.

 

And then the  ash pan fitted.

 

And finally  for now, a trial fit  of  the  motor and gearbox.  With a little filing of  the  top rear bend of the  middle  spacer, it fits nice  and snug with the  gearbox horizontal and  the  motor  vertical.

 

If I was Jazz, that would  be  an afternoon's session or less, but  I'm not, so it  it took several. My apologies for the camera (phone) shake  on some of the images.

 

To be continued......

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

 

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On my  next  session I made  a  slight  digression by folding up and  soldering the  bunker inner frame and  trying  it  in place  on the  footplate.Fits precisely so if  the  rest of the  body etching go together  as easily  I shall be  very  pleased. 

 

Anyway, back to the  chassis.

I have  added some nickel silver rod inside the frames to bear down on the  middle  floating bearings to act as springs. Simple but  it  works.

 

I then laminated the brake shoe  and hanger etchings  and  and  fitted in place with brass rod. I used a piece of  card to space them all off the  wheel treads to the  same gap and  chamfered the  inner edge of  the  shoes to gain more clearance  for  removing  and  refitting the  wheels.

 

Next job was to prepare the  brake rods and  have  a dry  run to see if  it  will be possible  to remove  the  wheels without having  the  rods detachable  in some  way. I clamped the  rods in the  vice in pairs to remove the  cusp and  fettle them up. Saves a  bit  of  time  on doing them individually.

 

The rods were then attached using the  provide etched spacers to give clearance to the  wheels, and held in place by short lengths of cable  insulation. 

 

Once  satisfied that the  wheels would be  removable with the rods permanently fixed, I soldered the lot in place.

 

Next up will be  to fit the  cranks and  brake cylinder casting behind the  rear wheels  to complete this  part of  the  build.

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

[hobbyhorse]

Nice job on the chassis.

 

Simon

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Since  my last  post I had the  opportunity to visit Didcot Railway center and  crawl all over one of  their  two 8750 pannier tanks. Not  identical to the  5700 but  they have  much in common. This  has  highlighted a couple  of  errors in the  kit I had not noted when looking  at prototype pictures  of  the  locomotives  when in service. First of  all there is  a row  of  rivets missing from the  front  edge of  the  cab opening on both sides.  This would  be  OK for  the  variants with the front  handrail running from an extension of  the cab beading  into the  running plate, but not  for  those with the  front  handrail in knobs as per  the  rear.  The  cab overlay is  allready in place  so I will have  to live with that.  However, the  ash pan is  also incorrect as it has sides running directly from the  bottom of  the  firebox and  they also slope inwards.  They are in fact  set inwards and  are vertical.  This  I have  been able  to remove and modify.

 

 

 

There is  some further  detail to be added along the  edges but  I moved on to other  things for  now.

 

Mostly  I have  been working on the  cab, bunker and  boiler/pannier tank casting. The  cab and  bunker  are  soldered together  and I have drilled and  tapped the  boiler (8BA) so that it  may  be screwed to the running plate and cab front at the  appropriate time.  Both the  cab and bunker  have inner "skeletons" onto which overlays are added with the  rivet detail.

 

 

The grab rail was only inserted to line  up the  overlay, and  the  two tabs with arrow heads are where  the  bends have  to be  made. Cast corner pieces must be added to fill the gaps. Here's the  finished item albeit without fire and  lamp irons. The inner side  of  the  cab back plate is  missing any representation of  the  rear doors, so these were scribed on before soldering  the  plate  in place on the  bunker. This is  guess work as I don't  have  a  picture to go by. I have  a  picture  of  the  8750 set up but I believe they are different.  As can be seen, the bunker innards will not  allow for  a  part load of coal, and will need a base plate adding before coaling up.

 

 

An finally some  pictures of  the  cab and boiler.  The last shot shows the  cab and boiler  screwed to the  footplate but  it's  only temporary.  There's a lot  of  detail to add to the  running plate  before the  boiler goes on permanently.

 

 

 

[2ManySpams]

Other than the void in the firebox, is the resin boiler / tank casting completely solid?

[Kev_Lewis]

Other than the void in the firebox, is the resin boiler / tank casting completely solid?

 

The one I built a few years ago was, and it looks like this one is too. It does add a nice bit of weight to the model.

[2ManySpams]

The one I built a few years ago was, and it looks like this one is too. It does add a nice bit of weight to the model.

Just wondering how much room there is for DCC chips and a speaker...

[Kev_Lewis]

Just wondering how much room there is for DCC chips and a speaker...

 

I thought that might be your reason for asking.

 

The solid casting does mean you can't put anything in the boiler and smokebox. But unless you're fitting inside motion there's bags of room between the frames.

 

Are you being tempted towards the light again?

Edited August 10, 2015 by Kev_Lewis